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Learn English before business
By Sean Leonard
Friday, August 12, 2005

It was reported this week that the minority has become the majority in several of our United States, and that's fine. Everyone, including new arrivals, have equal right to pursue liberty and fortune in this country, and those who disagree are, plain and simply, bigots.

But I do have a problem with a series of classes being offered at our local community college, as reported in Tuesday's Item.

White, Latino, Asian, Middle Eastern, or whatever, the one thing all who settle hereintent on becoming American citizens should be required to know is the language. If they don't know it upon arrival, learning it should be paramount; certainly above learning anything else.

While it is essential we give non-English speaking students all the help they need to learn the lexicon, including breaks on MCAS testing and other academic requirements that are unrealistic and impossible for them until they have at least a minimal ability to write and speak English, programs should not be offered in publicly funded institutions that serve as a disincentive to learning the language.

The upcoming Money Smart series of classes offered at North Shore Community College, sponsored by the college, the FDIC, and five area banks, seems to do exactly that, since the classes will be taught in Spanish.

Before Spanish-only speaking students learn how to become an entrepreneur in America or how to buy a home or be a landlord, how about requiring them to learn the language first? That's not much to ask, since communication is the most essential tool for any businessto succeed.

The day may come when minorities become the majority in the majority of our states. So be it. But we - and specifically government-funded institutions - should never put English at risk of becoming the minority language of our land.